Chris Curry, Director

Chris Curry is the Director of the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) with overall responsibility for leading and managing the PPI. Chris originally joined the PPI as Research Director in July 2002 and was responsible for the research programme for eleven years. At the PPI Chris has authored and presented a number of research reports analysing pensions (including state, private and public sector pensions), pension reforms and other provision for retirement income. Chris is experienced in presenting research findings to a wide range of audiences and to the media.

In February 2017 Chris was announced as one of the three co-chairs for the DWP AE Review Advisory Group. Chris will be leading on providing advice on the theme of Contributions. The review will look to ensure that workplace pensions continue to meet the needs of individual savers and employers, while remaining fair, affordable and sustainable for future generations. The DWP published a final report in 2017.

Chris started his career as an Economic Adviser at the Department of Social Security (now the Department for Work and Pensions), before joining the ABI as Senior Economist.

Chris has a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of Warwick, and an MSc in Economics from Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.

Sarah Luheshi, Deputy Director

Sarah Luheshi is the Deputy Director of the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI).She has overall responsibility for the PPI's research programme, as well as supporting the PPI's Director.

She has over thirty years’ experience in financial services, initially working for a FTSE 100 composite insurance company and then as a management consultant, both in the UK and overseas. She held a number of senior roles within the Guardian Royal Exchange Group, including strategy, marketing and IT. Her client work varied from post-merger integration and market entry studies to qualitative and quantitative primary research, specifically product development and testing with consumers and distributors. The majority of her 15 years as a management consultant focused on delivering quantitative and qualitative research projects for major clients, with an emphasis on private pensions. She has presented and spoken at a number of events on a range of topics including lessons from around the international pension world, tax relief, the complexity of DC consumer decision making and IGCs.

She has a BSc in Mathematics and Physics from the University of Manchester and an MBA in International Business and Corporate Finance.

Danielle is Head of Membership and External Engagement and joined the PPI in February 2014. Danielle is responsible for events, PR and ensuring our members receive continual support and a beneficial and valuable membership experience.

Danielle works closely with the PPI Funding Sub-Committee, to develop and implement a strategy for keeping members informed and up-to-date with PPI developments, and exploring new ways in which the PPI can engage with members. Since joining the PPI Danielle has delivered a new Members Newsletter and developed our presence on social media, including Twitter, Linked-in and Mallowstreet. In July 2015 Danielle also launched our new level of Membership, Associate Membership is designed to engage with smaller DB/DC schemes, LGA’s, Independent Governance Committees and smaller organisations that have an interest in pensions policy. In the coming months Danielle will be working to develop the Members only area of the PPI website.

Prior to working for the PPI, Danielle worked for a Professional Body managing the London Branch, she brings a wealth of experience of supporting members, delivering membership services and developing the membership experience. She also developed a schedule of events delivered to members for circa 100 people.

For events, press related queries or if you are interested in membership and would like to find out how we can support you or you are a current member and would like to share your ideas for enhancing your membership experience, ideas for events, or require information on the current activities of the Institute then please contact Danielle in the first instance.

Maritha Lightbourne, Head of Finance and Operations

Maritha is Head of Finance and Operations and joined the PPI in June 2005. Maritha is responsible for the day to day operational duties of the Institute, accounts and HR. Maritha is also Company Secretary and works closely with the Board of Council and Senior Management on Governance.

Before joining the PPI, Maritha worked closely with the Management Team in a voluntary youth organisation constructing life skill programmes for youth workshops, managing various projects and youth events within the organisation.

Maritha started her career as a Junior Accounts Assistant at Chrysalis Music while volunteering her time to assist in the administration of a not for profit organisation.

Maritha has a FdA Business and Management qualification from Greenwich University, a NVQ3 in Business & Administration and a NVQ2 in the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians). Maritha is currently studying a MSc in Voluntary Sector Management with Cass Business School, City University London.

For general enquiries or finance related matters, in the first instance, please contact Maritha.

Daniela is Head of Policy Research at the Pensions Policy Institute (PPI), and she leads the PPI Policy Research team. She has a wealth of experience in conducting quantitative and qualitative research into all aspects of state and private pensions policy, writing articles for journals and national press, and presenting to a variety of domestic and international audiences, including radio and television appearances.

Daniela originally joined the PPI in 2008 and took a short break in 2012 to work as a Committee Specialist for the Work and Pensions Select Committee.

Prior to working in research and policy Daniela was a social worker with vulnerable adults and children. Daniela has an MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics.

Priya Khambhaita joined the PPI in February 2017 as Senior Policy Researcher. Priya is currently working on different projects within the policy team. Her research experience is around the social and economic wellbeing of older people including the areas of health, well-being, cancer and social care.

Priya has an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Cardiff University. She also has an ESRC funded Masters and PhD in Social Science from the University of Southampton. Prior to joining the PPI, Priya worked at the University of Southampton as Senior Research Fellow and has also previously worked at the Institute for Employment Studies. Since joining the PPI, Priya has worked on a number of projects exploring international lessons in policy for the UK, including on the topics of consumer engagement and employer pension contributions.

Lauren Wilkinson joined the PPI in September 2016 as a Policy Researcher. During her time at the PPI Lauren has worked on a range of projects, including a series of Briefing Notes on the sustainability of Defined Benefit pension schemes, a report on behavioural economics and barriers to engagement in pensions, and, most recently, a report on the potential impact of Defined Contribution asset pooling.

Prior to joining the PPI, Lauren achieved an undergraduate Masters in Politics and Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, followed by a Masters in Public Administration and Public Policy at the University of York.

Hayley James is a PhD student at University of Manchester with sponsorship from the Pensions Policy Institute. Her Thesis looks at the impact of automatic enrolment into workplace pensions on individual decision making, based on a qualitative research methodology.

Hayley has a background in Economic Anthropology. Her main research interests concern sociological and anthropological perspectives on money and value, and how meaning is created through these tools.

John has been the PPI’s Senior Policy Analyst since 2008 and he leads the quantitative analysis and modelling research. In his time at the PPI John has worked on a number of PPI modelling projects on public sector pension reform.

In addition John has led on the PPI's research into the role of housing in supporting retirement (which involved developing modelling of tenure and the size of housing wealth in the UK), and worked on research sponsored by AEGON that considered simultaneous reforms to pensions tax relief, state pensions and access to private pensions.

John joined the PPI in 2008 from Hewitt Associates. At Hewitt he worked within the Pensions Actuarial Services team, overseeing the modelling of standard and non-standard pension scheme calculations for the consultants to present to the clients.

Prior to joining Hewitt John worked for the Government Actuary's Department for 8 years in the Occupational Pensions directorate, during which time he designed their investment roll-up model and designed models for the use of other Government departments.

John has a BSc in Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics from Heriot Watt and a Post Graduate Diploma in Actuarial Management from Cass Business School.

Chetan Jethwa joined the PPI modelling team in April 2018 as a Policy Modeller. He is responsible for maintaining and developing PPI models as well as producing modelling results and undertaking analysis to feed into the PPI’s research.

Chetan has a BSc in Actuarial Science from the London School of Economics.

Sergio Maffra is a PhD student at King's College London with sponsorship from the Pensions Policy Institute. His Thesis focus on the asset liability management of longevity risk.

Sergio has a BSc in Computer Engineering, and a MSc in Computer Science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He also has a MSc in Mathematical Finance from the National Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics, in Brazil.